The invention relates to a floating bridge for transportation and transfer by means of a vessel, comprising a buoyant pontoon and a bridge borne thereon that is pivotably disposed on the pontoon, for formation of a bridge unit that consists of a plurality of bridges.
Floating bridges are known (German AS No. 1,939,116) that are pivotably borne on a pontoon and that can be off-loaded in the water by an off-loading device of a vessel. During the off-loading process, the bridge is held longitudinally on the pontoon. For putting together a floating bridge unit that comprises a plurality of bridges, the bridges are pivoted on the pontoons so that they are disposed crosswise thereto. The bridges are fixedly joined via frontal coupling means.
Such bridges have to be in an exact position with respect to each other, to form a bridge unit, in order that a firm connection between them can be ensured. Constant maneuvering of the pontoons is necessary for this, until the coupling position is attained, and this is often associated with difficulties in rough water or with adverse wind conditions.
The invention therefore concerns the problem of simplification of the operation of putting the bridges in a coupling position, so that the off-loading time for production of a continuous long bridge unit comprising a plurality of bridges can be kept to a minimum.
This problem is solved according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in that a lifting and pivoting device disposed in retaining elements on the pontoon side serves for pivoting the bridges, and in that off-loading the bridges are first received in a rotatable fixing device and then firmly joined by a coupling device. According to an example of embodiment of the invention, it is provided that for formation of a floating bridge comprising a plurality of bridges, the bridges which are disposed more or less in parallel next to each other can be hung at the corners by means of the fixing device, and can be shifted by the pivoting and lifting device into a position for frontal connection. It is further provided that the lifting and pivoting device includes an external housing braced on the pontoon, and a pivot mount borne therein, so as to be rotatable and adjustable in height, which pivot mount presents retaining elements for connection with the bridge. The pivot mount has a centrally disposed lift cylinder braced on the pontoon, said cylinder being connected with a pivot drive, whereby the pivot drive is comprised of an adjusting cylinder that engages a bracket of the pivot mount or of the lift cylinder, the said adjusting cylinder being braced on the housing. It is further provided according to the preferred embodiment of the invention that the fixing device includes a rotatably borne funnel-shaped receiving part as well as a rotatably borne counter piece shaped like a conical mandrel that is received thereby, and these parts are disposed respectively at the corners of the tracks of the bridges that are to be joined, and are engaged for the connection.
The advantages that derive from the invention are essentially to be seen in that the bridges are simply connectable by mutual fixation, and are firmly connectable with each other by a pivoting of the bridges on the pontoons without any further correction of position, and thus a plurality of bridges can be coupled to form a bridge unit in the briefest period of time. Time-consuming maneuvering of the pontoons for connection of the bridges can thus be eliminated.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, one embodiment in accordance with the present invention .